Cinder Path Tales

PADDY'S PROBATION 97 At this, Paddy started crooning again, like a tomcat on a fence; he rocked his huge car­ cass, crossed himself without intermission, and called on allthe saints in the calendar. I was convulsed withwonder, laughter, and anger— the latter most in evidence —at the undignified part I was playing, in being set up like a dummy by my crazy companion. I got on my feet again, and with my arms akimbo stood studying him a full minute, doubtful what to do, and somewhat anxious for his reason. Suddenly helooked up to me and asked in a loud whisper, " For the luve av hiven, Misther Brown, tell me, what was it?" "What wasit? " answered I. "What was what? " " Sure, it was," said he; and at this re­ markable dialogueseemed perfectly satisfied, began to croon and rock again, andlapsed into a state of " innocuous desuetude," as before. Deciding, atlast, that the time for heroic measures hadarrived, I tookhold of Paddy's collar with both my hands, shook him violently for a few seconds, andthen began to bang his head against the door. It did not take many raps against the hard oak to bring into the vacant face a hint of reason, and, at last, with a goodblow of my fist,which